Search
Close this search box.

new “actress barbie”….from mattel.

Photos of Barbie Angell by Rodney Smith - Tempus Fugit Design © 2013

i don’t know why, but lately i’ve found myself fondly remembering the days when i used to do theatre. building sets, setting lights, stage managing and yes, even acting. i don’t think i was ever confident enough at the time to be really good on stage. just a little too self-concious i guess. i know that i’d never find the time to be in a play now, but i just keep thinking….maybe someday i’ll get back into the theatre.

for now, i give you some writing inspired by those few years when i graced the stage at lincoln college. if anyone does have a copy of the play that i was actually in….you have my permission to set it ablaze.

thanks for playing.
barbie.

On the Air
Welcome to your life.
This is what you are.
No fireworks or laser shows,
but you’re it’s only star.

The stage is set. The band is here.
The audience awaits.
The house is packed every nite,
and no one’s ever late.

Sometime’s it’s all a mystery
or a comedy of lies.
There’s drama and there’s action.
Every show’s a new surprise.

It takes place in your surroundings,
and every set’s unique.
We promise and deliver
a new cliff hanger every week.

It’s far better than the soaps.
All the acting is top scale.
And the lobby’s always stocked
with souvenirs for sale.

No script is ever written.
All the characters are real.
There’s always seats available
and admission is a steal

The director’s name is Fate.
The costumes are your own.
The dialogue is witty,
but the plot is seldom known.

Welcome to your life.
The show’s in progress now.
Remember when it’s over
to stand and take a bow.

The Actor
He reaches in
with an artistic grace
and turns my tears on
with the ease of
turning on a faucet,
pauses to ignite my soul
with a match worn
from many performances.
Though it has aged,
the flame is not diminished
or hesitant,
instead,
it breathes with the spirit of the theatre,
and illuminates with the urgency
of the final scene.

He reaches in with a tempered hand,
and strokes the wings
of the butterflies inside of my stomach,
pauses to revive my heart,
and I extend my hand,
worn and aching from the ovation
and take his….
with admiration.

written for rhys lovell.

The 16 Anything Club

My life’s a John Hughes movie
played on triple fast rewind.
The quotes I’m always using
are the freeze frames of my time.
But am I really Alley Sheedy?
Where’s the soundtrack for my pain?
Will John Cusack ever kiss me
in the forest in the rain?
Why don’t my parents hear me?
Can I say anything to you?
Does wardrobe make my character?
Why can’t I be “Pretty in Blue”?
Will I ever finish senior year?
I’ve been to more proms than the band.
And what do I do when my boyfriend
isn’t content holding hands?
And who’s my best friend this week?
And who’s my date tonite?
If my life becomes a sitcom,
do I retain the rights?
You’ve got my adolescence,
it’s out on DVD,
but when I become a grown up
what will John Hughes do with me?
My life is one long sequel
that didn’t make the grade.
Playing to an empty house
to fill my waning days.
And people play “remember when”,
and I become the joke.
My life’s a John Hughes movie
that people always quote.

(The movie “Say Anything” was written
& directed by Cameron Crowe, not John Hughes.)

Share this post

4 Responses

    1. ah, you don’t remember my fabulous performance as “susie” in “the hot L baltimore”? i’m sure most people wish they could forget it. : ) i did really like the shel silverstein show that we did for the kids. AND i liked the scene you and i did from “extremeties”. i always liked building sets and running lites both at lincoln and heartland theatres.

      maybe someday. : )

  1. Does “On the Air” bear any resemblance to or inspiration from a Peter Gabriel song of the same title from a less popularized solo album?
    Another note: Cameron Crowe has written other movies, toured with Led Zeppelin as a rock journalist, and married Nancy Wilson of Heart. “Say Anything” has a pivotal scene in which Cusack’s character plays a song by Peter Gabriel (“In Your Eyes”).
    —-
    Lloyd: You start out depressed, everything turns out a pleasant surprise.

    Corey: You’re such a great person, Lloyd. I’m a good person, but you (Barbie) are a great person.

    “I don’t like to see so much pain
    so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
    I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
    I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

    and all my instincts, they return
    and the grand facade, so soon will burn
    without a noise, without my pride
    I reach out from the inside

    in your eyes
    the light the heat
    in your eyes
    I am complete
    in your eyes
    I see the doorway to a thousand churches
    in your eyes
    the resolution of all the fruitless searches
    in your eyes
    I see the light and the heat
    in your eyes
    oh, I want to be that complete
    I want to touch the light,
    the heat I see in your eyes
    in your eyes in your eyes
    in your eyes in your eyes
    in your eyes in your eyes” Peter Gabriel

    1. the title was because i was very much into a tv show at the time called, “remember WENN”. it was written by rupert holmes. the show was about an old time radio station. it was the inspiration for a few poems that i wrote. however, there’s a little peter gabriel in everything i do. my favorite quote….”don’t be a guy lloyd. anyone can be a guy. be a man.”

Leave a Reply

Contact Information

Barbie Angell

Release Date

March 5, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Barbie Angell Uncensored” is a dazzling fusion
of poetry, comedy and tragedy

ASHEVILLE NC – Poet, playwright and raconteur Barbie Angell performs “Barbie Angell Uncensored: An Unfiltered, Uninhibited and Unapologetic Event” at 8pm Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at LaZoom Bar & Gorilla. The 90-minute show is a melange of works spanning Angell’s career, including her poetry, excerpts from her autobiographical play “Death by Sparkle,” pieces from her children’s book “Roasting Questions,” and rarely performed mature works.

A multitalented, multi-hyphenate personality based in Asheville since 1999, the always colorful Angell is recognized around town for her work as a poet, playwright, columnist, emcee, artist and fashion designer. She has been voted “Best of WNC” poet by Mountain XPress readers for 10 consecutive years, and her skills as an emcee have made her a sought-after host for local festivals and large events such as Planned Parenthood’s Condom Couture and the Reproductive Rights Rally. 

Angell has written sketch comedy, co-authored “The Kids Show: Definitely Not for Kids,” and penned one act of “Grimm’s Fairy Tales” for Montford Park Player. She is currently creating and selling upcycled clothing in her own fun and funky signature style – some of which will be available for sale at the event, along with original artwork and prints.

Equal parts stand-up comedy, poetry slam and public confession booth, “Barbie Angell Uncensored” promises to be emotional, unsettling, hilarious, and as unique as Barbie Angell herself!

Tickets are available at BarbieAngell.com for a suggested donation of $20.